The man behind the mascot

“I believe there’s a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble.” — May Parker, Spider-Man 2.

It was an interesting summer for me to say the least.

Trips to a local lavender farm, chilling at various beaches and a visit to Grindstone General Store for a towering ice cream cone were just a few of the highlights.

However, I took on a different identity while checking out those spots.

Let’s rewind a little.

Earlier this year, a few of us at the Tribune dusted off the cobwebs on a familiar face that was tucked away for years — Dale E. Tribune.

He's the newspaper’s mascot that once was a familiar sight in the area.

Well, the jig is up and it’s time to reveal the man behind the mascot: Me.

I’m sure it wasn’t too hard to figure out who it was considering a majority of the Tribune's employees are on the taller side of the spectrum. Unlike those who previously wore the suit, Dale looked like a shorter version of Arnold Schwarzenegger this time around. Buff and in charge.

Aside from battling the heat on certain photo shoots, I enjoyed putting on the suit and having some fun with it. I’m sure there were a few people thinking, “What is that thing?” but hey, it gave them something to talk about for the rest of their day.

I wasn’t alone in resurrecting Dale either. Tribune reporter Seth Stapleton stood by my side all summer. Together, the two of us thought of different ideas — some funny, some not so funny — and executed them to the best of our abilities.

“Kick your legs out like a cheerleader” or “Give me a better twirl” were a few pieces of advice I received from Seth during our shoots. Nonetheless, we hope we reached our goal to give you, the readers, a few laughs every now and then.

As summer comes to an end, I say goodbye to a friend. However, it’s not a final goodbye. And who knows, he may be making a few surprise visits in the coming months. But only time will tell.

Bradley Massman is the assistant news editor at the Huron Daily Tribune. He can be reached at bmassman@hearstnp.com